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Tag: messenger

  • Meta to bring more color to WhatsApp with new chat theme customization on iOS

    Meta to bring more color to WhatsApp with new chat theme customization on iOS

    Meta-owned WhatsApp boasts over 3 billion monthly active users, making it one of the most popular messaging apps globally. Despite its popularity, users have longed for more customization options, a gap often filled by competitors like Telegram. However, it seems change is on the horizon, as reports suggest WhatsApp is working on a new customization feature. In the latest WhatsApp beta for iOS, the go-to source for WhatsApp updates, WABetaInfo found that Meta is tinkering with a new default chat theme feature.

    The attached screenshot shows a section for selecting the app’s default chat theme. Similar to the branding color feature found in earlier WhatsApp beta updates for iOS, users will be able to choose a new color and wallpaper for the default chat theme from a selection of five different options:

    • Green
    • Blue
    • Black
    • Pink
    • Purple

    Once you choose a color, it will automatically become the default chat theme, adjusting both the wallpaper and bubble color accordingly. In addition to tweaking chat bubbles and wallpaper, WhatsApp is also working on a new feature to control the app’s accent color. If launched, iOS users can switch the in-app button color from green to one of the previously mentioned shades.

    Furthermore, choosing a default chat theme will only change your own interface and won’t affect how other chats appear. It is important to note that these features are still in development, so it may take Meta several months before they are available to the public – if the company decides to proceed with them at all. It is unclear at this time if Android users will also receive the same features.

    In other news, WhatsApp is rolling out support for longer voice messages in status updates and could soon let users generate AI-powered profile photos.

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  • Google Chat gets a new mobile redesign with bottom navigation bar on Android and iOS

    Google Chat gets a new mobile redesign with bottom navigation bar on Android and iOS

    Google Chat is rolling out a new bottom navigation bar to its Android and iOS apps, making it easier for users to access key features and stay organized on the go. The new navigation bar provides quick access to Home, Direct Messages, Spaces, and Mentions views, streamlining the overall user experience. Here’s how each of the new views work:

    The Home view serves as a central hub for all conversations, allowing users to effortlessly stay up-to-date on important threads. A dedicated filter lets users focus on unread messages, ensuring they don’t miss critical information.

    • The Direct Messages view concisely overviews all one-on-one and group conversations, with pinned conversations conveniently placed at the top for easy access.
    • The Spaces view similarly displays a condensed list of all spaces, along with pinned conversations at the front.
    • The Mentions view acts as a personal notification center, highlighting all messages from conversations and spaces where the user has been mentioned. This feature ensures that users are always aware of relevant discussions and can quickly respond to inquiries or participate in ongoing conversations.

      • The new bottom navigation bar will automatically appear on Android and iOS devices for both admins and end users, eliminating the need for any manual intervention. The rollout will be gradual, taking up to 15 days for all users to receive the update.

      Additionally, the new bottom navigation bar is available to all Google Workspace customers and users with personal Google Accounts. The gradual rollout will commence today for Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains on Android and iOS devices.

      These updates follow the expansion of the app’s message bubbles to iOS yesterday, which provide a more cohesive messaging experience across all platforms. Now, with the introduction of the new bottom navigation bar, we see how Google is focused on simplifying navigation and enhancing user productivity within the app as well.

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  • Phishing attacks are deceiving Facebook, Messenger, Instagram, and WhatsApp users

    Phishing attacks are deceiving Facebook, Messenger, Instagram, and WhatsApp users

    In an attempt to stop ongoing phishing attacks, Meta, formerly known as Facebook, filed a federal lawsuit in California court. Meta says that the attackers were trying to steal the login credentials of Facebook, Messenger, Instagram, and WhatsApp users.

    The attackers created fake login pages that looked like Meta’s social media platforms to obtain Meta’s users’ login credentials. The goal was to deceive the users into entering their credentials, like usernames and passwords.

    Here’s what Jessica Romero, Meta’s director of platform and litigation, said about the phishing scheme: “Reports of phishing attacks have been on the rise across the industry, and we are taking this action to uncover the identities of the people behind the attack and stop their harmful conduct.”

    According to Meta’s lawsuit blog post, the phishing scam included more than 39,000 fake websites. In order to mask their attack, the deceivers used a relay service that redirected the internet traffic to their phishing pages while simultaneously concealing their real location and identities. The relay service also masked the online hosting providers of the defendants.

    In a statement about the case, Meta noted that phishing assaults have increased since March and that Meta has suspended thousands of URLs to such phishing sites. Although Meta doesn’t know who made the phishing sites, the lawsuit, according to Meta, is another step in its actions to protect people’s safety and privacy. The filed lawsuit by Meta shows the position of the company against those trying to abuse its platforms.

    In its blog post about the lawsuit, Meta stated that it would continue to fight the phishing attacks that try to deceive its customers and that it shares the phishing sites with other platforms so that they can block the attackers as well.

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  • Dark mode, new voice effects coming to Messenger Kids

    Dark mode, new voice effects coming to Messenger Kids

    One of the most requested features for mobile apps, dark mode is finally coming to Messenger Kids. Since the app’s audience isn’t as large as the main app, Facebook took its time to make it available to its users.

    Although kids can’t really complain, Messenger had decided to throw in a couple of additional features to go along with the dark mode. For starters, new voice effects can be added to audio messages. Also, kids can now start games from within their chat thread.

    The dark mode feature, which is only available on iOS devices (Android coming soon), can be turned on and off from the Messenger Kids app settings. Also, the phone’s settings can be used to automatically change how Messenger Kids looks.

    To add voice effects to voice message, simply tap on the “voice” mic icon, press and hold to record a message, then choose from five different options to change your voice to sound like you’re talking into a seashell, or like a robot, ghost, gorilla or mouse. Just like dark mode, this feature is only available on iOS devices for now.

    The ability to start games from within a chat thread allows kids to play two-player games without having to leave the chat thread and go to the Explore tab to pick a game. Once again, the ability for kids to start two-player games from within Messenger chat threads is only available for iOS users.

  • End-to-end encryption now covers Messenger video and audio calls

    End-to-end encryption now covers Messenger video and audio calls

    In this era where privacy reigns, end-to-end encryption (E2EE) is an important feature because it keeps messages private and only the sender and the recipient know what it says. It prevents law enforcement, employees of the platform being used, and others from reading something that was not meant for their eyes. Facebook Messenger has offered end-to-end encryption for messages since 2016 and Facebook has announced in a blog post that it is now extending this privacy protection to both Messenger voice and video calls.

    As Facebook pointed out on Friday, 150 million video calls a day are handled by Messenger, and voice calls are now being added to this chat mode to protect both video and audio calls with the same encryption protection. Facebook states that “End-to-end encryption is already widely used by apps like WhatsApp to keep personal conversations safe from hackers and criminals. It’s becoming the industry standard and works like a lock and key, where just you and the people in the chat or call have access to the conversation.

    The content of your messages and calls in an end-to-end encrypted conversation is protected from the moment it leaves your device to the moment it reaches the receiver’s device. This means that nobody else, including Facebook, can see or listen to what’s sent or said. Keep in mind, you can report an end-to-end encrypted message to us if something’s wrong.”

    Facebook also announced that it updated its disappearing messages feature within its E2EE chats. With the newly updated controls, users will be given more options as to when they want their messages to disappear. The new range runs from just five seconds to as long as 24 hours. Not only will these messages be encrypted, they could also be set to fall off of the platform by the time five seconds can be counted.

    Over the next few weeks, Facebook will test end-to-end encrypted group chats and calls in Messenger. This includes both video and voice calls for family members that have an existing chat thread or are already connected. As noted by Facebook, “We’ll also begin a test for your delivery controls to work with your end-to-end encrypted chats. That way, you can prevent unwanted interactions by deciding who can reach your chats list, who goes to your requests folder, and who can’t message you at all.”

    Instagram users will also share in this bid to expand end-to-end encryption. In certain countries, adult Instagram users will be allowed to opt-in to end-to-end encrypted messages and calls for one-on-one conversations. You will need to have an existing chat or be following each other to start an encrypted DM (the same conditions needed to start an end-to-end encrypted voice or video call in Messenger).

    Facebook points out that you can always block someone that you don’t want to DM with. The option to make video and voice calls end-to-end encrypted on Messenger, along with updated controls for disappearing messages, will start rolling out today. “People expect their messaging apps to be secure and private, and with these new features, we’re giving them more control over how private they want their calls and chats to be,” Facebook says.
    The U.S. Justice Department under William Barr in 2020 issued a statement along with Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom in favor of strong encryption. A statement issued by this group, called the Five Eyes, said that end-to-end encryption “plays a crucial role in protecting personal data, privacy, intellectual property, trade secrets and cybersecurity…and also serves a vital purpose in repressive states to protect journalists, human rights defenders and other vulnerable people.”

    Yet just the year before, the Trump administration reportedly weighed the idea of outlawing end-to-end encryption, and there was talk about the DOJ asking Apple to add a backdoor to the iPhone that would allow law enforcement to read certain messages related to investigations of drug trafficking, terrorism, and child pornography. Ironically, Apple itself plans on scanning iPhones seeking images that could be considered child abuse including child porn.

  • Here’s what WhatsApp subscribers face if they don’t opt-in to the new Privacy Policy by May 15th

    Here’s what WhatsApp subscribers face if they don’t opt-in to the new Privacy Policy by May 15th

    WhatsApp is not planning on making any changes to its new Privacy Policy and users must opt-in to the update by May 15th. In an email from WhatsApp to one of its merchant partners , WhatsApp will “slowly ask” users to agree to its new terms. Those who do not comply with the new terms will lose full functionality of WhatsApp starting on May 15th. Those subscribers not agreeing to the new policy by that date will face a punishment. In its newly posted FAQ page, WhatsApp says, “To give you enough time to review changes at your own pace and convenience, we’ve extended the effective date to May 15th. If you haven’t accepted by then, WhatsApp will not delete your account.
    However, you won’t have full functionality of WhatsApp until you accept. For a short time, you’ll be able to receive calls and notifications, but won’t be able to read or send messages from the app. By “a short time,” WhatsApp means “for a few weeks.”
    After May 15th, you can still accept the updates although WhatsApps rules regarding inactive users will apply. Those rules say that after 120 days of inactivity, accounts are usually deleted. And if you do decide to delete your WhatsApp account, there is a price to pay. The WhatsApp Help Center says, “If you’d like to delete your account on Android, iPhone, or KaiOS, we hope you reconsider. It is something we cannot reverse as it erases your message history, removes you from all of your WhatsApp groups, and deletes your WhatsApp backups.”
    So what is this whole thing about? WhatsApp has been forced to update its privacy policy after deciding that it will allow users to directly message businesses on its platform. The problem is that there is a grave misunderstanding with some subscribers believing that by agreeing to the new Privacy Policy update, WhatsApp users will be sharing their personal data with Facebook. But this is not true and private messages will remain encrypted from end-to-end. This won’t be the case for messages sent to businesses over WhatsApp. Data used in business messages can be used for ad targeting with some data kept on Facebook’s servers.
    WhatsApp once described end-to-end encryption in this way: “Strong encryption acts like an unbreakable digital lock that keeps the information you send over WhatsApp secure, helping protect you from hackers and criminals. Messages are only kept on your phone, and no one in between can read your messages or listen to your calls, not even us. Your private conversations stay between you.”
    The misplaced belief that Facebook was getting to see encrypted messages between WhatsApp users led a number of subscribers to make the decision to leave WhatsApp for rival messaging apps like Signal and Telegram. But had users understood that their personal messages remain encrypted, the rush for the exits would not have happened. Talking about the confusion and the mistaken beliefs about Facebook, a WhatsApp spokesman said, “We’ve heard from so many people how much confusion there is around our recent update.
    There’s been a lot of misinformation causing concern and we want to help everyone understand our principles and the facts.” So in the weeks leading up to the May 15th deadline, WhatsApp is going to post an in-app banner that will allow users to re-read about the new privacy update so that they will accept the changes allowing them to continue using the app. An image of that banner accompanies this article.
    The new privacy policy will allow WhatsApp and Facebook to share payment and transaction data to target ads better. For the last five years, WhatsApp has shared user phone numbers and device information with Facebook.  The latter bought WhatsApp for a final price north of $19 billion in February 2014. WhatsApp has over 2 billion users in over 180 countries.
  • Facebook is developing new Messenger features to protect minors

    Facebook is developing new Messenger features to protect minors

    Facebook wants to make the internet a safer place, especially for minors. In commemoration of this year’s Safer Internet Day, the company reminded everyone in a blog post about Messenger’s privacy features and also elaborated on what’s currently in the works.

    Last year, Facebook introduced a pack of safety features in Messenger, aimed to protect users from scams and abuse. These include more detailed message requests, Safety notices that provide tips to educate people on spotting suspicious activity, a limit on message forwarding (a message can only be forwarded to five people or groups at a time), and new ways to report abuse or harassment.

    The social network is taking things a step further, working on new Messenger features to protect minors in particular.

    “In addition, we’re developing more innovative features that use activity across our platforms to prevent harm or abuse before it happens. For example, we use behavioral signals like an adult sending a large amount of friend or message requests to people under 18 to share safety notices, identify and remove potentially harmful accounts and protect minors,” reads part of the blog post.

    There’s no information on when these new Messenger features would be arriving, but the desire to protect our kids from online creeps is commendable.

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  • Facebook merges Messenger and Instagram experiences

    Facebook merges Messenger and Instagram experiences

    We can’t say that this wasn’t bound to happen at some point, but Facebook’s announcement remains a big surprise for Instagram and Messenger users. The social media giant confirmed earlier today that it merged Messenger and Instagram and enabled cross-app messaging.

    According to Facebook, its research revealed that four out of five people who use messaging apps in the United States say that spending more time connecting with friends and family on these apps is important to them. However, one out of three people finds it difficult to remember what app their friends are using.

    In other words, Facebook merged the two messaging experiences to avoid confusion among users, but that’s hardly the main reason. In any case, it’s important to mention that if you’re using Instagram, you can decide whether or not to update your app to benefit from the new messaging experience.

    In addition, Facebook announced that it will roll out more than 10 new features to its Instagram and Messenger users. A new vanish mode has been introduced, which allows users to set messages to automatically disappear after they’re seen.

    To make it clear for those who use one of the two apps or both, the main change is that people using the Messenger app can now reach those on Instagram without needing to download a new app, and vice versa. Furthermore, you can choose where you want to receive messages and calls, like in your chats, in your message requests, or not at all.

    Several Messenger features have been confirmed for Instagram, but they might not be available starting today: Watch Together, Selfie Stickers, Chat Colors, Custom Emoji Reactions, Forwarding, Animated Message Effects, Message Controls, Replies, and Vanish Mode.

  • Facebook launches Messenger Coronavirus Community Hub

    Facebook launches Messenger Coronavirus Community Hub

    Facebook, just like many other big companies, are trying to ease the transition to social distancing by offering free services and products. But people need to stay informed about what’s happening in the world even when they’re self-isolating.

    In that regard, Facebook launched recently the so-called Messenger Coronavirus Community Hub, which offers users tips and resources that should help them stay connected to their friends, family, and community in general.

    The new Messenger Coronavirus Community Hub will also act as a tool to prevent the spread of misinformation, as it explains how people can recognize and avoid scams and fake news. Beyond that, Facebook’s new hub is about serving its users as they try to maintain their communities and social connections even when they can’t be together in real life. On top of that, you’ll be able to find accurate and reliable information about COVID-19 developments, as well as tips to help you prevent the spread of fake news.

    Last but not least, the Messenger Coronavirus Community Hub will also act as a communication bridge between important organizations like WHO (World Health Organizations) and CDC (Centers for Disease Control) with Facebook’s developer partners with the purpose of helping these organizations to share information more effectively.
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  • Facebook launches faster, cleaner Messenger app for iOS devices

    Facebook launches faster, cleaner Messenger app for iOS devices

    It will probably take a lot of time for Facebook to integrate all its services into a single app, and we don’t even know if it will eventually succeed. But every major endeavor starts with a small step, and today Facebook made one.

    The social network giant has just announced it has launched a brand-new Messenger app for iOS devices, which is cleaner, smaller and faster. The new Messenger for iOS is just 1/4 the size of the previous app and contains just 360,000 lines of code, down from 1.7 million.

    Because of that, the app will load twice as fast and will consume a lot fewer resources while it’s running. Another important aspect is that Messenger for iOS is now simpler than ever. Facebook reduced the contact list from 40 versions to just one.

    Although the app has been rebuilt from the ground up, some features might be temporarily unavailable, but Facebook promised to bring them back as soon as possible, so if you notice that something is missing, then you’ll have to wait for developers to add it.

    Facebook has already started the rollout of the new Messenger for iOS, but it will take a few weeks for the app to appear for everyone, so give it time if you don’t see it in the App Store yet.

  • WhatsApp private group links visible in Google search results

    WhatsApp private group links visible in Google search results

    Journalist Jordan Wildon stated on Twitter that WhatsApp groups may not be as secure as people thought they were and shared a screenshot, showing some links to groups appearing in Google search results. Apparently, when users create a link to send to someone to join their group, it gets indexed by Google and is accessible.

    A WhatsApp’s spokesperson reminded people that links that should be private shouldn’t be disclosed on publicly accessible websites, apparently explaining that the issue was due to unreasonable public posting of some links. When a link for a private group is posted on publicly available websites, it can be used by anyone to join the group and in consequence, see all the messages in it.

    However, reverse engineer Jane Manchun Wong’s post on Twitter regarding the situation brings another perspective on it – she is stating this situation was a result of a misconfiguration which allowed around 470,000 Group Invite links to be indexed, and not because someone has not been careful enough when sharing private links. According to her, WhatsApp could change certain configurations in order to exclude the invite pages from appearing in search engines.

    Nevertheless, for the time being, WhatsApp maintains the position that this is intended behavior, not a bug.

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  • AirAsia Wants Tools to Engage Customers Moving to Messaging Apps

    AirAsia Wants Tools to Engage Customers Moving to Messaging Apps

    Consumers now want to talk to businesses and find resolutions the way they talk to their friends and family, and this is pushing a big transition towards messaging channels, according to Adam Geneave, chief customer happiness officer for the low-cost Asian airline.

    The carrier added support for Tencent’s WeChat in China earlier this year and was seeing significant adoption for the platform, Geneave said in an interview. In fact, the messaging tool since had grown to become AirAsia’s biggest communication channel in the Chinese market, he noted.

    The airline’s engagement with customers through such channels played a key role in its business strategy as they enabled consumer queries to be addressed quickly, he said, and urged technology and other solutions providers to integrate messaging tools into their products.

    According to Geneave, AirAsia currently provides WeChat support via a plugin developed by Salesforce.com, which suite of products had been rolled out over the past year as part of the airline’s overhaul of its customer service infrastructure. These included Salesforce Sales Cloud, Marketing Cloud with Social Studio, Service Cloud, and Community Cloud.

    The deployment enabled AirAsia service agents across eight markets to access a unified view of customer cases from all communication channels, encompassing online, email, live chat, phone, and airport communications.

    With the transition into messaging evolving so rapidly, though, it has been difficult for the airliner and its technology partners to keep pace, Geneave said. For instance, support for Facebook’s WhatsApp still was lacking, he noted.

    “We have been very vocal in wanting such support, including for Line and KakaoTalk,” he said, noting that WhatsApp processed 65 billion messages a day worldwide and there were 1 billion active WeChat users. “The way people are interacting is changing.” He attributed AirAsia’s plans to close all its call centers this year in part as a response to this trend.

    The airline is estimated to fly 100 million passengers this year and 20 million of its service cases each year are facilitated on Salesforce platforms, which currently support more than 22,000 AirAsia employees in nine languages.

    The data that runs through these systems also allow the airline to deliver personalized experiences and facilitate better decision-making.

    Geneave explained that the different datasets were collated onto a single platform and managed at AirAsia’s command center. This was manned by duty managers who would track Salesforce dashboards to identify patterns that could affect its business and monitor tweets as well as other social media messages coming through on Social Studio.

    This provided valuable learnings about its customers and, with these insights, enabled his team to work on projects and improve processes and systems to further enhance customers’ engagement with AirAsia, he said.

    The ability to study the data and identify emerging trends also meant his team could be aware of service outages even before the IT team was alerted of it, he noted, adding that his team also tracked other relevant developments such as airports and other airlines that might and might not compete directly with AirAsia.

    The airline in January also introduced its artificial intelligence-powered (AI) chatbot, named AVA, which could handle eight languages including Bahasa Indonesia, Vietnamese, and Simplified Chinese.

    Geneave said the chatbot had been performing well and handled a significant chunk of queries coming through on its live chat. AVA also was deployed on the airline’s Facebook Messenger platform.

    Apart from operating on a strong knowledge base, he said the chatbot also continued to learn from conversations it had with customers. His team also trained it on a daily basis, he added.

    AVA’s deployment was critical to enable the airline to be more agile in the way it managed its customers, he said, noting that the chatbot could take on a significant volume and allow queries to be handled more quickly.

    Geneave also pointed to the emergence of AI and machine learning technologies as a crucial development as these would further enable AirAsia agents to react more quickly and identify trends that otherwise would have taken hours to analyse.

    Beyond customer services, too, it would give airlines the ability to save fuel – for example, by improving the way it scheduled crew rosters and managed its resources, he said.

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  • Telegram CEO blames China for cyber attack

    Telegram CEO blames China for cyber attack

    One of the top ten most popular messaging apps in the world is Telegram, available for iOS and Android. Not as widely used in the U.S., the app offers end-to-end encryption and group chats for as many as 200,000 people. The app also can share videos, even those with large file sizes, and documents of any type. A tweet from Telegram CEO Pavel Durov blames China for a cyberattack that hit the Telegram app and affected its subscribers earlier this week.

    Durov says that a large Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack originated from internet addresses inside China. These DDoS attacks sent huge amounts of requests at one time to Telegram, clogging up the app and making it unusable for many subscribers. The executive called it a “powerful,” targeted attack that was related to the protests taking place in Hong Kong. Huge throngs of protestors are complaining about a new law that will allow people in the city to be extradited to China. Durov said that in the past, similarly sized DDoS attacks coincided with protests in Hong Kong,

    Because of the encryption used to hide the content of messages, Telegram is popular among protestors in any country, allowing them to coordinate plans with up to 200,000 people out of the eyeshot of authorities. A DDoS attack on Telegram would prevent the protestors in Hong Kong from making arrangements to gather at a certain place and time.

    The Chinese government denied that it was responsible for the attack. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said at a briefing yesterday that he was unaware of the incident.

  • Facebook launches new Avatar feature for News Feed and Messenger

    Facebook launches new Avatar feature for News Feed and Messenger

    Facebook is desperately trying to keep up with the competition by launching alternatives to some of the nifty features that other social network giants offer to their users. Facebook Avatar is such a feature that wants to compete with Snapchat’s Bitmoji selfie stickers, so if you’re using the latter, you’ll find Facebook’s new feature quite familiar.

    There’s been a ton of work put into this from the product and design perspective to find out, with how many people on Facebook, how to make this as representative as possible. They’re a bit more realistic so they can be your personal avatar vs trying to make them cute, funny, and cartoony, said Facebook Avatars communication manager Jimmy Raimo.

    The new Avatar feature is now available in Australia and it’s usable in Messenger and News Feed comments. The rest of the world will get it in late 2019 or early 2020 on all compatible platforms.

    If you’re living in Australia, you should start seeing a smiley-face button in the News Feed comment composer and Messenger sticker chooser, which will allow you to create your Facebook Avatar. Although only users in Australia will be able to create these Avatars, users worldwide will see them without any issues.

    Although there’s no option to create an Avatar starting with a selfie or profile pic yet, Facebook says that it’s going to implement it if they manage to master the creation process. Another important thing confirmed by Facebook is that these avatars won’t be monetized, at least not at launch, so there won’t be any accessories or clothing options that you’ll be able to get for real money.

    Last but not least, Facebook might allow users to include Avatars as profile pictures or in Groups, but that’s more of a long term project rather than an immediate plan.

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  • Facebook is making changes to the App

    Facebook is making changes to the App

    Besides unveiling a new quicker and lighter Messenger app with end-to-end encryption, and new features for Instagram and WhatsApp, Facebook announced today some changes that are being made to its flagship app. The new focus of the Facebook app will be on groups, and FB5 will feature new ways to bring together people offline. With 400 million users subscribed to over ten million active groups, the redesigned app will make it easier for users to access the groups they belong to and find new ones to join. The groups tab will show a feed from all of the groups a member has joined, with recommendations for new groups to sign up with. Starting today Facebook users will see in their News Feed more content from the groups they belong to, and content from the feeds can be sent to these groups.

    Facebook will add new features for certain groups. HealthSupport Group members will be able to make anonymous posts about their medical conditions. Job groups will have a template to allow employers to post job openings; those interested in a particular job can message the employer and apply for the job through Facebook. Gaming groups will have a new chat feature, and Facebook is looking at ways to allow buyers on Facebook Live to find out more information about a product and make a purchase without leaving the live stream. Opting into the Meet New Friends feature will allow Facebook users to meet others that they share a community with like a school, office or city. Facebook has been testing Meet New Friends and a wider rollout is coming soon. Facebook Groups will be integrated so that users can meet people they share similar opinions with.

    The company also announced the expansion of Facebook Dating to 14 new countries. Facebook Dating is available in Colombia, Thailand, Canada, Argentina, Mexico, Philippines, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, Laos, Brazil, Peru, Chile, Bolivia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Uruguay, Guyana, and Suriname. This feature allows you to find potential matches from your Facebook groups, friends of friends and more. Facebook also is launching a Secret Crush feature that allows you to designate up to nine friends as Secret Crushes. If any one of the nine has opted into Facebook Dating, they will receive a notification alerting them that someone has a crush on them. If one of your crushes then adds you to their Secret Crush list, a match is made. If a crush isn’t on Facebook Dating or doesn’t add your name to his/her Secret Crush list, your interest is never revealed.

    Those using Marketplace to sell items will be happy to hear that they will soon be able to ship their wares anywhere in the continental U.S. and get paid on Facebook using a secure platform. And lastly, a new Events tab will show you things taking place around you and even recommend places to go and things to see. The tab will help you make plans with friends to meet up at an event. Some of the new features will be available right away, while others will be found on the app in a few months.

    Last week, we told you that 2.1 billion people use Facebook, WhatsApp, Messenger or Instagram on a daily basis. 2.7 billion use one of these Facebook properties on a monthly basis. The company does expect to be fined $3 billion to $5 billion for failing to comply with an FTC Consent Decree it signed back in 2011. With the latter, Facebook promised not to use member profiles without users’ approval. But during the Cambridge Analytica scandal, 87 million Facebook members had their profiles sold without permission to Cambridge Analytica and the data used to create psychological profiles.